Mobile phones are widely used for communication and entertainment. Mobile phone use while driving is common, but frequently dangerous. Due to the number of accidents that are related to mobile phone use while driving, some jurisdictions have made the use of a mobile phone while driving illegal. Others have enacted laws to ban handheld mobile phone use, but allow use of a headset. In some cases restrictions are only directed to minors or those who are newly qualified license holders.
Unfortunately though, penalties resulting from violation of such laws are relatively lax and do not serve as a sufficient deterrent. Also, inadequate law enforcement, partially resulting from a recent economic downturn and continuing terrorist threat, contributes to violations of such laws. Furthermore, when operating a vehicle, many individuals hide the mobile phone when a law enforcement officer is nearby and resume its use when the law enforcement officer is away.
To reduce the number of accidents that are related to mobile phone use while driving, some mobile phone makers have incorporated voice activated features into the mobile phones. However, the software enabling the voice activated features is inadequate. Also, the voice activated features often cause a vehicle operator, especially a new driver or a minor learning how to drive, to become distracted during vehicle operation. Moreover, new drivers or minors learning how to drive often do not have the skills required to operate a vehicle proficiently on top of the complexities of operating a mobile communication device.
Similarly, driving while using a headset is often not safer than using a mobile phone as the increased cognitive workload involved in holding a conversation, not the use of hands, causes the increased risk. Hence, many individuals still operate vehicles, while using a mobile phone, thus endangering themselves and others.
Although some methods of reducing mobile phone use within a vehicle have been developed, the methods suffer from various drawbacks. For example, some signal scrambling devices are somewhat helpful in reducing mobile calls during vehicle operation, but illegal according to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Also, signal scramblers are inadequate in effectively reducing the use of mobile phones for entertainment purposes, such as video games.
Accordingly, more efficient ways of dealing with at least the foregoing disadvantages are desired.